London studio Gort Scott has converted a rundown office block in London's Walthamstow into a hub for local creatives, featuring co-working spaces, maker studios and a bakery cafe (+ slideshow).

Walthamstow Central Parade was originally built in the 1960s to serve as council offices. Gort Scott has renovated the building to create 650 square metres of space for independent workers and businesses.

The architects used mid-century-inspired details and furnishings to pay tribute to the building's heritage, while utilitarian elements suit its more functional new use.
The result is a spacious facility suitable for various activities. The aim is to promote the Walthamstow area as a hub for the creative industries.

"Walthamstow Central Parade provides stylish workspaces with varied facilities, enabling a range of creative industries and emerging enterprises to thrive in the area," said Jay Gort, who leads Gort Scott with partner Fiona Scott.
The architects' first step was to strip back the interior to create a warehouse-like space, with bare walls and floors, and ventilation ducts and electrical fittings exposed across the ceiling.

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They restored the unusual facade details, which included a wavy concrete canopy ? now painted yellow ? and decorative tiles. These provided the design cues for the interior, as well as for the building's new signage.

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